We are considering buying a puppy and we would love a cocker spaniel. We have a son aged 4. We are out of the house from 9.00am til 3.30 pm but we would walk the dog morning and afternoon and night. We have a reasonably large garden. What do you think? Is a cocker a good choice for small children? Any other breeds you may recommend? Anything out there that does not shed too much?? If we bought a cocker we would probably have it clipped anyway, that's what our neighbours do. All advice gratefully received!!!! thanks.

Hi

Cockers can make very good pets for families with children, though as with any breed, parents must be sensible - dog & child must not be left alone unsupervised & parents must ensure the child does not tease the puppy or unintentionally hurt it eg by pulling ears. Cockers as a breed are generally not that good at being left alone for hours on end & I would think 9-3.30 is certainly too long to leave a very young puppy - puppies need a great deal of attention for those first few months & you might find housetraining very difficult if you are not around to take the puppy outside when he/she needs to go. A young puppy does not need much in the way of walking to begin with but it does need your time & attention. Sorry but I think over 6 hours is way too long to leave a puppy alone - perhaps you have a family member or reliable neighbour who could "puppy sit" or come in once or twice while you are not there?

Don't get the idea Cockers don't shed, clipped or not :-) This is a long haired breed & they definitely shed hair, more noticeable with the lighter colours like black & white, but they all do it to some extent - I have Cockers & my Dyson has to work very hard :-) Also, not wishing to offend you, but why would you want a long-haired breed & then have it clipped off? If grooming is not something that appeals to you, then why not consider breeds that don't have long hair - I'm sure others can give you suggestions but off the top of my head, a short-haired, medium-sized breed that makes a good family pet is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

In addition to Jane's very relevent comments I would add that personally I think an adult cocker needs and deserves a good bit of exercise a day. Your intention may be to walk three times a day but I think a busy household, both working, 4 year old child, housework, some wee bit of a social life will not realistically allow to keep that up. If you can get over the rather long working day you might consider the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, I believe they are good with children and robust enough for play but I suspect they need less excercise and less grooming although obviously some. I am not an expert on the breed though and I know they have some heart problems that you will need to look into if you do find yourself considering them.